


Short Raffles AUs

by nimiumcaelo



Category: Raffles - E. W. Hornung
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Beekeeping, Bunny Dies in Prison AU, Greaser AU, M/M, Model Bunny, National Treasure au, Painter Raffles, Painting, Titanic AU, Werewolf Raffles, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-01 06:33:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13992504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nimiumcaelo/pseuds/nimiumcaelo
Summary: A collection of little snippets of Raffles AUs.So far...1. Modern AU (art included!)2. College AU3. "National Treasure" AU (art included!)4. Bunny Dies in Prison AU5. Beekeepers/Hive Thief AU6. Painter Raffles/Model Bunny AU7. 1950s Greaser AU8. Werewolf9. Titanic AU10. Titanic AU ~ part 2 ~





	1. Modern AU

Bunny yawned and stumbled out into the kitchen, hair mussed and dressed only in his boxers and one of Raffles’s old t-shirts.. Raffles himself was leaning against the counter, checking ESPN on his phone. He didn’t look up, but mentioned, “There’s coffee.” Bunny nodded and grabbed himself a mug.

 

 

~

 

Raffles’s Nike’s were silent against the brick wall as he scrambled upwards, hands alternately gripping rope and the firm steel of the balcony above him. He’d worn the same shoes while jogging around the pitch earlier and dust still clung to the black fabric. Reaching the balcony safely, he reached down a hand for Bunny.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> art here (sfw don't worry): <https://www.dropbox.com/s/l7gv44jleic0rin/2018-03-21%2006.58.14%201_1521673443867.jpg?dl=0>


	2. College AU

Raffles threw his head back and laughed, way too loud for the library, curls bouncing as he clapped the guy standing next to him on the shoulder. Cheeks lightly pink, Bunny peered at him over the edge of his book. Raffles looked over toward him and Bunny looked away.

~

“You read Keats?” Raffles asked suspiciously, catching sight of the book on Bunny’s desk.  
Bunny frowned slightly. “Yes?”  
Raffles’s face lit up in respect and intrigue. “What else?”


	3. "National Treasure" AU

Bunny frowned. “Anyone crazy enough to believe us isn’t gonna want to help.”

“We don’t need someone crazy,” Raffles declared. “But one step short of crazy, what do you get?”

“Obsessed.”

Raffles shook his head. “Passionate.”

 

~

 

“Raffles? Raffles, I’ve lost my feed.”

Raffles fiddled with the screwdriver, barely heeding the words coming through his earpiece. _If only the d—ed thing would come loose_.

Bunny’s harried voice warned him, “You’ve got to get out of there!”

Huffing, Raffles gripped the edges of the painting and made for the hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> art here (sfw don't worry): <https://www.dropbox.com/s/j8obculksds3y7f/2018-03-21%2006.58.13%201_1521673443479.jpg?dl=0>


	4. Bunny Dies in Prison AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for this one guys, really. I legit almost cried.

Doctor Theobald frowned slightly as his patient scribbled yet another note for him.

“Be sure to put it in all the major ones.”

Theobald snatched the note. “Of course,” he said dryly. After shutting the door on his grumpy invalid, Theobald allowed himself to sigh.  _If only Mr. Maturin would be less selective_ , he thought,  _I would be perfectly able to provide him with a highly qualified nurse at the drop of a hat. But no, of course he must have his wishes…_

 

~

 

Mr. Maturin had taken to requesting issues of newspapers dated from six months to two years ago. At first, he had been subtle about it, interspersing these odd demands with more typical ones, such as for a tonic or a vase of flowers to brighten the room. As time progressed, however, Doctor Theobald had to travel nearly daily to the library archives to dig up some inane copy of the  _Daily Mail_ . 

It was  about a month into this queer behavior that Doctor Theobald finally graced his patient with the fatal gift:  a faintly smudged and tea-stained copy of obituaries for November 1896. Theobald had long since given up the hope that his patient might give him a sign of what he was looking for; on this occasion he was rather surprised.

Mr. Maturin blinked at the page for a while, his eyesight obviously weak from so many months in low light, then set it aside. In a sort of daze, he rose –  _he rose!_ – and pulled a packet of cigarettes, no less, from behind one of the paintings. Theobald would have scolded him quite severely had he not been so flabbergasted. Any word he might have tried to hurl Maturin’s way would have bounced back as if hitting pavement. The old invalid struck a match, retrieved from some other secret location, lit his cigarette, then puffed at it quite abstractly. Theobald nearly jumped when he heard the man speak.

“Open the windows, won’t you? It’s too blasted dark in here.” Maturin’s voice was quiet and indistinct.

The doctor did as ordered, and watched as the cozy sunlight cast itself on a face pale and drawn. Theobald felt suddenly as if he was intruding and withdrew from the room without another word.

 

~

 

The next night, Theobald found the crumpled form of his former patient lying broken and bloody in the alley behind the building, having evidently fallen from some great height as the roof. The doctor swallowed thickly, then walked back into the street to call for the police.


	5. Hive Thieves AU (Beekeepers?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I keep bees!!

Raffles grasped firmly at the hive handles and heaved it upwards, setting it beside the other hives in the bed of the truck. Bunny waved the smoker around and swatted a disturbed bee away from his arm. After the final hive was placed in the truck, they closed the bed and strapped them down with cords. The sky was dark as they drove away.

 

~

 

“It’s all over the headlines, Bunny! ‘Bee thieves on the loose!’ ‘Hive snatchers at it again!’ ‘When will our farms be safe?’”

Bunny snatched the paper out of Raffles’s hands. “Are they investigating? Surely, the neighbors will notice our hives have increased.”

“My dear man, they’ll notice nothing. And if they do, we’ll tell them we went down to Italy last week and got more – or, if that won’t do, that we’ve been splitting them. Simple!”

Bunny scowled over his tea. “I still think this is far riskier than it needs to be, Raffles. What need have we of thirty more hives? I thought ours were perfectly fine.”

“They were,” Raffles assented pleasantly. “But thirty more will be more than fine.”

Bunny sighed.


	6. Painter Raffles and Model Bunny

Bunny stood nervously in front of the door, the advertisement cut out from the newspaper held tightly in his fidgeting hands. When the door opened, and the man smiled down at him, Bunny cursed the gods that had made him so handsome.

“Hello, yes, I’m here about the advertisement? I saw it in the paper, and I thought – well – thought I could apply?” Bunny stammered awkwardly, trying not to make it sound like he was _eager_ to strip for this man and pose, but also that he wouldn’t be _averse_ to the idea.

The man smiled, bright eyes sparkling in excitement. “Oh! Yes – the advert’. Come in, come in,” he said, ushering Bunny in with an amiable hand on his shoulder. “You’re the first to apply, actually.”

“Really?” Bunny couldn’t believe why: this man – a painter, apparently – had said he’d pay fifty pounds to the person who’d pose for several hours and let him paint them. Bunny, of course, jumped at the chance.

The man chuckled as he lead them into his sitting room. “You might not believe it, but most people don’t enjoy getting naked and having me stare at them for several hours without moving.”

Bunny smiled and sat down on the sofa across from him. “ I can’t understand why ,” he said,  voice a little higher than usual , sticking his hand out. “I’m Harry, Harry Manders. Most people just call me ‘Bunny,’ though.”

“Bunny,” the man repeated, grinning. “I like that. You can call me A.J., A.J. Raffles. When are you free?”

 

~

 

Bunny stood, undressed and a little cold, in the center of A.J.’s studio. A.J. was standing next to him, adjusting his pose: he would tilt Bunny’s chin lower or tweak the way his shoulder was sitting with delicate yet precise fingers that Bunny tried very hard not to think very much about. A.J. hadn’t actually needed him to strip completely, just down to his underwear, but it would still not be very appropriate to get too excited about this whole ordeal.

After adjusting Bunny to his liking, A.J. sat down behind his easel and began a preparatory sketch. His eyes fixed intensely on Bunny and Bunny felt compelled to look away. A low flush rose on his cheeks and spread to his shoulders.

A.J. drew in a breath. “Perfect,” he mumbled, and grabbed the paint.


	7. 1950s Greaser AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bunny's a prep and Raffles is a greaser, obvs

Raffles smiled roguishly and tucked a daisy behind Bunny's ear.

"For you, my rabbit."

Bunny blushed behind his glasses and looked around, careful that no one would see them. They were behind the school, sitting on the curb by the parking lot, but anyone was liable to walk past. Most of the teachers still had their cars parked just a few spaces away.

Raffles leaned over and kissed Bunny on the cheek.

"A.J.!" Bunny protested. "Someone might walk by!"

"So?"

Bunny sighed but didn't push Raffles away. "So it's dangerous! Do you know how much trouble we could get into?"

"Where's the fun without a little danger, eh, Bunny?" Raffles's grin stopped any other protests Bunny may have had.

He sighed. "Fine. But I don't want to drive in your car again."

"What?! But that car is the most beautiful thing -- have you seen the dash? The chrome along the -- Bunny, _really_."

Bunny fixed him with a look and tilted his chin up ever so slightly. "You drive too fast."

Raffles groaned. "But Bunny! --"

"No."

Raffles huffed. "Can't wait 'til _you_ get your license, Bunny, then I'll be the one complaining all the time."

"You won't have to. I'll be a perfect driver."

"Yeah, right. You'd be slow as an old hag," Raffles teased.

Bunny frowned. "Would not!"

"Oh, yeah? Prove it." Raffles fixed Bunny with a challenging stare, that familiar mischievous glitter in his eyes.

Bunny narrowed his eyes, then stood up and started walking to where Raffles had parked his car. "Are you coming?" he called over his shoulder.

Raffles grinned. "Definitely!" He ran over to Bunny and tossed him the keys. "Take me away, Bunny!"

Bunny giggled. "How 'bout I take you out?"

"Oh, Bunny," Raffles drawled, eyes fluttering. "You sure know how to make a guy feel swell!"

"Shut up!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for reading!!


	8. Werewolf AU

Bunny knocked on Raffles’s door again, growing impatient.

“Raffles!” he cried. “Open this door! I know you’re there; the porter told me. Now, quit hiding in your stupid box and let me in!”

Silence was his only answer. Bunny cursed Raffles under his breath.

“Good thing I copied that spare key you gave me,” he muttered to the empty hallway. “Even though you took the spare away like a bastard.”

Bunny fit the copied key into the lock and turned it with a click. He entered and shut the door behind him with a scowl.

He hung his coat and hat up, frustrated. “A.J.! I broke in! Aren’t you gonna come and throw me out?”

Bunny wandered into the sitting room. It was empty.

“Blast.”

He went to check Raffles’s bedroom but found the door shut. He tried opening it, but found that something heavy had been pushed against it on the inside.

“Raffles!”

Bunny shoved against the door. It gave, but only a little. He tried again, heaving against the door.

“Does he get off on keeping me away?” Bunny huffed to himself. He gave one last shove, and the door flew open with a loud crash – the dresser shoved against it had fallen.

Bunny burst in to the bedroom. “Raffles! I hope you’re pleased with yourself because – !”

Bunny stopped, cursed, and stumbled backwards out of the room. A large wolf growled and snapped its teeth at him as he retreated.

“Raffles!” Bunny cried, terrified, as he ran from the rooms. He didn’t look back as he tore down the Albany staircase and out into the street. His face was ashen and his hands trembled.

He looked up at Raffles’s bedroom window. The light was on. He felt a shiver down his back and hurried back to Mount Street.


	9. Titanic AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is so much I'd want to put in here for a Titanic AU!! I should probably just write a whole spin-off fic, but meh that's too much effort.  
> That scene in the movie, though, with the car and the steamy hand -- you know what I mean -- _ugh_ with Raffles and Bunny.... i die...

"Care for a cigarette?"

Bunny started and turned to his right. A man with hair as black as the night sky and eyes glittering like the stars was grinning at him and holding out his cigarette case.

Bunny took one. "Thank you."

"Of course."

 

~

 

Peeling away from the high golden laughter of the ladies and the smoke-heavy claustrophobia of the men, Bunny found himself once more on deck beside this stranger. He offered Bunny another cigarette, a twinkle in his eye.

"Don't care much for their society, eh?"

"No."

 

~

 

Bunny gasped from the cold. It seeped into his skin and seemed to stab right through to his bones. His hands gripped wetly at the wreckage he was floating on, then let go and reached blindly for Raffles.

"A.J.!" he cried hoarsely. "Take my hand!"

Raffles, lips nearly blue from the icy water, blinked dazedly at him. "No, no, Bunny -- it's too small."


	10. Titanic AU ~ part 2 ~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haha you thought I would give it up lol nope nevahhhhh

"D-Don't talk _rot_ , A.J., get up here!"

Bunny scooted over on the floating piece of debris and helped haul Raffles up beside him. Raffles, nearly paralyzed from the cold, rolled against him instantly and the two shivered together, the dark stars above hidden by the flames coming out of the dying ship.

 

~

 

They clasped hot mugs of tea in their hands and stood, crowded, with many other survivors. Raffles had draped the blanket he had over both his and Bunny's shoulders and the two stood arm in arm, minds blank and slowly coming back to their senses. They bumped and jostled against many and Raffles was constantly fidgeting his hand into his pocket -- sometimes Bunny caught the glint of a diamond or the sheen of a pearl. Honestly, the thing that surprised him the most was that anyone had managed to keep possession of their valuables through the crash.

 

~

 

Bunny lay on his back on the sand, hot sunshine glowing his skin into a faint yet flattering tan. His hair seemed to shine golden in the light, and as he stretched languorously before the sea, Raffles thought him a fair Ganymede. Moving closer to him, Raffles stroked Bunny's cheek with the back of two fingers, feeling the heat off his skin. Bunny's eyes lifted open and he smiled. Raffles wished poignantly that this was not a public beach.

**Author's Note:**

> Please suggest any other ideas you have or feedback or anything thanks !!!!
> 
> \- M


End file.
